Across our congregations, we see both challenges and opportunities in engaging high school aged youth. We, your friendly Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Regional Liaisons, recently collected data to understand what’s working and what needs attention, so that we are not relying on our own assumptions when we consult with religious education professionals.

What the Data Reveals

In regional surveys we asked “How many youth (ages 14-18) are engaged in your congregation, and what supports their participation?”

We received 162 responses from congregations of all sizes with a variety of staffing and volunteer structures ranging from those with no youth programming to those with age-specific groups. The most common response? “It’s complicated.” Many described a challenging landscape, with emotions ranging from discouragement about declining engagement to hopefulness about rekindling and relaunching.

What’s Working?

Congregations that successfully engage youth share some key traits:

✔Willingness to adapt and change – Congregations open to shifting their approach, centering marginalized voices, and embracing change management are seeing more youth engagement.

✔Fairly compensated staff –Investment in staff who can build sustainable relationships and create consistent and meaningful connections makes a big difference.

✔Opportunities for real contribution – Youth engage when they feel they’re part of something bigger—whether it’s climate activism, social justice, or experiential learning that connects to their values.

✔Relevance matters – Youth will go where they feel seen and heard. If a congregation speaks to what’s on their minds—mental health, social justice, environmental concerns, and neurodiversity—they are more likely to engage.

Voices from the Field

🗣️From Central East Region:

Time constraints and shifting priorities are major barriers, with many youth balancing packed schedules, making it difficult to attend traditional church programs—especially outside of social or experiential opportunities. “I see the challenges youth face—mental health, political division, environmental concerns. Some adults ignore how unique these struggles are. In my work, I aim to make youth group a space where young people can ‘just be’—balancing faith development with an open, gentle approach that doesn’t overwhelm their already stressed lives.”

🗣️From MidAmerica Region:

Youth are extremely busy and don’t want more commitments, but they do want a place to gather, share, and be heard. “We saw a decline in participation before the pandemic, but when we hosted a youth con in 2019, excitement soared—only to be halted by COVID. Climate justice and neurodiversity are two of the biggest issues our youth care about right now.”

🗣️From Pacific Western Region:

Of the congregations who responded, most have consistent youth group attendance of 1-5/weekly with outliers as high as 10+ and as low as "no longer have a program". The thread in the comments was that youth are yearning for a sense of connection and for gatherings that feel worthwhile. The landscape of youth ministry has shifted and, to quote one of the REPs, "In some challenging and exciting ways, it's like starting over from scratch." 

🗣️From New England Region:

Youth and emerging adults engage in congregational life in a wide variety of ways! The most common engagement trends for youth were: consistent (weekly or bi monthly) youth group that includes social activities (games, karaoke, role playing games, and field trips) or curriculum (OWL, COA); serving as paid volunteers (for younger RE classes, nursery, AV, etc.); service projects; participating in worship creation (choir, intergenerational worship). “It would be really helpful if there were regional things we could tap into (volunteering, youth gatherings, weekend cons, immersion experiences, etc.) - we don't have the bandwidth or critical mass to build all those connections, so having a UUA staff person is huge news!”

🗣️From Southern Region:

Many DREs are struggling post-pandemic, with many adapting by combining middle and high school groups, prioritizing experiential learning, and leveraging OWL and COA programs to maintain engagement. Traditional youth group models aren’t working for many congregations, leading to a shift toward multigenerational worship, social justice projects, gaming curricula (like D&D), and flexible, high-energy events that meet youth where they are—often outside of Sunday mornings and through online connection spaces like group chats and Discord. Successful congregations are focusing on critical mass, structured-yet-fun environments, family connections, and creating safe, welcoming spaces where youth feel a sense of belonging and purpose. “We were lucky to get a grant from a small foundation and hired a wonderful youth coordinator. The stability this provides plus the genuine interest and value the congregation places on youth have made a big difference.”

Now, none of us on the youth and emerging adult ministry team are statisticians, but we are excellent listeners and connectors. This data may resonate with you and you may notice a glaring omission that we have missed. Our hope is that this data informs but does not dictate our endeavors. Above all, we are treating these survey results as the beginning of ongoing conversations between Lifespan Faith Engagement staff and our congregations.